Ilkeston Town 3 Sheffield FC 0
UniBond League Cup Round Four
Saturday, 03/01/09
Adamson manages to keep hold of Vill's second half shot
A patched
up Sheffield side put up a plucky performance at Premier Division Ilkeston Town this afternoon, but fell short of pulling
off a shock, in the end losing by a convincing 3-0 margin. Fielding a virtually unrecognisable side to the one that had beaten
Retford United 48 hours earlier, Sheffield were more than a match for their higher division opposition, but two goals in a
minute midway through the second half ended Club’s interest in knock-out football for another season. After an evenly
balanced goal-less first half Tom Cahill gave the Robins the lead three minutes after the re-start, and after weathering an
all out assault from the visitors, goals from Ben Pringle (71st minute) and another from Cahill (72nd
minute) wrapped things up to take Ilson into the last eight.
The
injuries and bruised bodies from New Years’ Day’s encounter had obviously taken its toll on Sheffield’s
team selection, with manager Chris Dolby having to make his first start of the season, and his first start since the Senior
Cup final in May. Naturally this meant that Ilkeston started strongly as Club struggled to find their feet, and with the pressure
the hosts caused some early worries, although never really testing Leigh Walker in the visitors’ goal. The first chance
of the game however fell to the visitors, as Vill Powell found himself with opportunity to open the scoring, only to shoot
directly at Chris Adamson. At the other end Ilson should have produced some reward for their endeavours, although when Tom
Cahill found himself clear on goal, his effort was hooked just wide of the goal. The opening stages started to produce plenty
of opportunities at both ends of the pitch, with Jack Muldoon giving Adamson something to think about after Powell had set
the youngster up, whilst at the other end Jon Douglas headed the ball in the net from a Sam Duncum cross – only to have
the “goal” ruled out for offside. Midway through the half both sides had the opportunity to break the deadlock
with some golden chances; Paul Hurst, Steven Istead and Sam Duncum created a clear opening for Jon Douglas to finish, only
for him to inexplicably to blaze wildly wide of the mark – whilst Club came closest as Chris Dolby put in a telling
cross that was glanced on by the head of Marc Newsham, the ball being in turn tipped over the bar by Adamson. The end-to-end
nature of the game continued to half time, as Duncum showed nimble feet to dribble past three defenders before getting a shot
off that was well saved by Walker, whilst at the other end Muldoon broke down the right in injury time to give Newsham a glorious
chance of giving Club a half time lead – only for the prolific youngster to lash the ball over the stand.
Ilkeston took the game to Sheffield
after the restart, in a similar vein to which they’d opened the first period, and it took them just three minutes to
break the deadlock. Ben Pringle caused some problems down the left flank, before whipping in a ball that was only half cleared
by the visitors, leaving CAHILL the opportunity to drive the ball past Walker to give the Robins the lead. Club went on the
offensive straight after and gave the hosts more than a little to ponder, as immediately a long ball saw Paul Hurst and Kieran
Murphy misdirect back-headers goalwards to Vill Powell, with his effort being stopped once again by the impressive Adamson.
Moments later Mick Goddard found himself through on goal, again Adamson stood between him and a goal, whilst shortly after
Muldoon put another cross into the mix – this time Powell headed just wide under some defensive pressure. Given the
balance of play it was hard to tell which side was the injury hit Division One side, and they nearly drew level as once again
the Ilkeston left flank was exposed – this time by Newsham – who put a cross into Powell who showed great strength
to hold of defensive attention, before striking a shot that rattled the frame of the goal. Sheffield were made to rue that
last missed chance as the Robins went down the other end and nearly doubled their lead, as a cross flashed across the face
of the visitors’ goal, with Douglas coming inches from making the vital contact with the ball which would have meant
a certain goal. That goal came with just under twenty minutes to go, as Duncum put in a great cross that left PRINGLE with
the easiest task of finishing, one that he didn’t make any mistake with. The game was wrapped within a minute of the
restart, with CAHILL sweeping home an effort from the edge of the area, effectively killing the game off.
BTF
Man of the Match – Jack Muldoon.
Ilkeston
Town: Adamson ©, Church, Hurst, Hooks, Garner, Murphy, Istead, Pringle, Cahill (Newton), Douglas (Green), Duncum (Shaw). Sub
Not Used: Wild, Haystead.
Sheffield
FC: Walker, Linnell, Woolley, Gelsthorpe, Wright ©, Lipka, Muldoon, Dolby (McKenzie), Powell (Purkiss), Newsham, Goddard.
Subs Not Used: Ingall, G.Smith.
Att:
270
Sheffield FC 3 Retford United 2
UniBond Division One South
Thursday, 01/01/09
A first
half Marc Newsham hat-trick sent a bumper 760 crowd home happy this afternoon, at a freezing Bright Finance Stadium, as Sheffield
held on to take all three points against table toppers Retford United. After an outstanding first half display which saw Newsham
hit the back of the net after 11, 28 and 30 minutes, The Badgers hit back with a second half offensive that had Club on the
back foot. Lee Whittington made matters level in the 25th minute, whilst in a one-sided second period Neil Harvey
made things interesting with a 62nd minute strike; however that was his last involvement in the game as he was
red-carded for a skirmish in the net following his goal. Despite the man disadvantage Retford had more than one golden opportunity
to level things up, only to see Sheffield keeper Leigh Walker pull off some fantastic saves, including an impressive penalty
stop. Both teams ended the show with ten men as Club’s Jordan Eagers took an early walk following two yellow card offences,
but the job was done already, with Sheffield finally beginning their move up the table – now into 16th spot.
Despite
all other games within a fifty mile radius falling to the weather, it seemed as if the Bright Finance Stadium had its own
micro-climate, as the pitch was as good as any played on this season. Sheffield were certainly up for this one, and it was
they who had the first shot in anger, with Paul Smith striking an effort from distance straight at Ross Turner. A few moments
later Turner tipped a harmless looking shot round the post for a corner, one that was only half cleared by the defence as
far as Matt Outram, he whipped in the perfect cross for NEWSHAM to head home at the near post. Midway through the half it
should have been two, as Outram once again provided a cross into the middle, this time Vill Powell got his head to the ball
– steering it just over the bar. The let-off seemed to inspire the visitors and within a few moments they were level,
as a ball came over from the right missing everyone, WHITTINGTON steadied the ball first before slamming it into the net.
But if anyone thought that Retford would go on and take charge they’d be wrong, as within minutes Club had regained
the lead, when NEWSHAM took advantage of some woeful defensive indecision – nipping in to steal the ball, before slamming
home from the narrowest of angles. Two minutes later it was 3-1, as NEWSHAM completed his hat-trick with some neat football,
taking the ball past the Retford defence before lobbing Turner with the deftest of touches.
Teams
like Retford never seem to go in at half time 3-1 down, then come out and play the game out to a tame conclusion, and today
was no exception as they put Sheffield on the back foot straight away. Ten minutes into the half Club knew what they were
up against, as Ryan Ford headed what appeared to be a certain goal, but in the way was the ever agile Leigh Walker beating
the ball in spectacular fashion. Sadly just after the hour mark there was very little Walker could do to save the day, as
once again the ball was squared across the Sheffield defence, in the middle to side-foot the ball home was HARVEY. However
in his eagerness to retrieve the ball to the middle, Harvey was involved in a moment’s silliness with Walker, with referee
Nigel Smith deciding a straight red card should be order of the day for the Barbadian International. Whether this was right
or wrong seemed to matter little to the visitors, and they set about trying to rectify matters in the best possible way, with
a relentless barrage of pressure. The pressure finally told within five minutes when Paul Smith clattered into the back of
Chris Bettney, giving the referee very little option in pointing to the spot; however when Bettney stepped up with the spot
kick – Walker was up to mark making an excellent save to keep the status quo. Despite the man advantage Club still sat
back allowing Retford to come at them, albeit with little success, but it made for a very nervy ending. Just as time was running
out Jordan Eagers picked up a second yellow for a minor altercation with Badgers’ player-manager Peter Duffield, giving
referee Smith no other course of action but to make sure both teams ended the game with the same number of players, and taking
the sting out of the last few moments of the game.
It was
a great way to finally break the hoodoo over Retford, the first win in five attempts in the league, in front of the largest
attendance in the UniBond One South this season. Overall it goes without saying this was a game of two halves, and if Neil
Harvey hadn’t had a rush of blood, who knows how this game could have finished. Thankfully though this ended up being
a much needed league win for Club, the first since November’s win at Kidsgrove, and the first at the BFS since September’s
home win over Stamford. With luck this will finally turn the tide for Sheffield, making 2009 more fruitful in the UniBond
than the latter part of 2008, but first we have a trip to (now) manager-less Ilkeston Town in the League Cup. If today is
anything to go by, we’ll be in for a treat… if the weather lets us anyway.
BTF
Man of the Match – Leigh Walker.
Sheffield
FC: Walker, Gelsthorpe, P.Smith, G.Smith (Eagers), Wright, Muldoon, Outram (Lipka),
Hawes ©, Powell, Newsham (Goddard), Woolley. Sub Not Used: Dolby.
Retford
United: Turner, Ludlam, Cowan (White), Ford, Chambers, Simpkins ©, Bettney, Fisher (Nelthorpe), Whittington (Duffield), Harvey,
Grimes. Subs Not Used: Oldham, Kingston.
Att:
760.
Stocksbridge Park Steels 1 Sheffield FC 1
UniBond Division One South
Saturday, 27/12/08
A first half goal from Vill Powell was not enough to secure
all three points against high-flying Stocksbridge on a bitterly cold afternoon at Bracken Moor.
It was Sheffield who got the game underway, but the hosts
almost took the lead inside the first minute when Ring headed over from a long throw. At the other end a ball into the six
yard box saw Powell slip in unmarked but his shot was inches wide. The striker was unlucky again a few minutes later, latching
onto a through ball, this time putting it wide of the far post. Back at the other end and this time a free kick for Stocksbridge
on the edge of the area saw Ward hit the bar. Outram then went on a mazy run from one side of the pitch to the other before
being brought to a halt, resulting in a free kick. The home side managed to clear it for a corner, then were lucky to get
the ball clear again in the ensuing goalmouth scramble. It was time for Walker to come to the rescue then with two fine saves
in succession from Ward and Vardy. After such a dramatic opening quarter of an hour the game then settled down, with both
sides creating chances, but nothing clear cut. Just past the half hour mark a long throw from Muldoon saw the ball cleared
to the edge of the area where Wright was waiting, his shot just wide of the goal. Ward then had a good effort punched away
by Walker. The breakthrough came on 39 minutes when POWELL chased a long ball which seemed to be well in control of the Stocksbridge
defender and his keeper, but they managed to get in each others way and the nippy defender was able to tap the ball into the
empty net. The visitors had a chance to extend the lead on the stroke of half time, but went into the break with just the
one goal advantage.
The second half almost got off to a dramatic start when
Woolley gained possession in midfield and put Newsham through, but with only the keeper to beat the young striker hit it straight
at him. Sheffield were by no means taking things easy, pushing forward for more goals and constantly creating panic in the
Stocksbridge defence. However, it was the home side that levelled the score on 57 minutes when WARD broke free, with Sheffield
looking for an offside decision, to put the ball beyond Walker's reach. Vardy almost gave the home side the lead ten minutes
later, his shot just inches wide of the mark. At the other end another superb cross by Outram saw Lovell completely miss it,
surprising Powell who could only chest the ball goalwards, before Scott scrambled the ball away. Sheffield was attacking in
numbers, but still had to be wary of the pacey forward line of Stocksbridge, who are quick to exploit any gaps in the Sheffield
defence. Muldoon almost capped a fine performance with a stunning 25 yard effort that skimmed off the outside of the post
with Scott well beaten. In the final minute Stocksbridge almost stole all three points when Cockerill’s deep cross was
headed goalwards, but Gelsthorpe was on hand to clear the danger.
Overall, a very solid performance and on the balance of
play and chances we should have been walking out of Bracken Moor with all three points, but I think most people would be happy
with a point at the beginning of the day. Next up is a New Year's Day encounter at home to table toppers Retford United. Let
us hope it's a Happy New Year!
BTF Man of the Match: Matt Outram
Stocksbridge Park Steels: Scott, Adams, Cockerill, Dawson,
Lovell, Ashley, Ring (Fothergill), Richards, Vardy, Ward, Riley (Menga). Subs Not Used: Wilkinson, Schofield, Siddall.
Sheffield FC: Walker, Wright, P.Smith, G.Smith, Ingall (Gelsthorpe),
Muldoon, Outram, Hawes, Powell (Goddard), Newsham (Eagers), Woolley. Subs Not Used: Lipka, Dolby.
Att: 451
Sheffield FC 5 Hallam FC 1
Alan Cooper Memorial Cup
Tuesday, 23/12/08
Club
ran out easy winners in the latest edition of the World’s Oldest Derby ™, with goals from Steve Woolley (3rd
minute), Vill Powell (11th minute) and two from Mick Goddard (22nd and 31st minutes) wrapping
the game up well before the half time whistle for the hosts. Hallam grabbed a consolation in the 75th minute from
Liam Allott, before Asa Ingall gave the game a convincing scoreline with a fifth for Sheffield a minute from time.
Sheffield
FC: Walker, Gelsthorpe, P.Smith, G.Smith, Wright, Eagers, Outram, Lipka, Powell, Goddard, Wolley. Subs: Cribley, Ingall, Dolby.
Hallam
FC: Taylor, Rowley, Fawcus, Clayton, Gayle, C.Smith, Hunter, O’Carroll, Ward, Bates, Patterson. Subs: Allott, Tevendale,
Highfield, Jones, Elson.
Att:
200 (approx)
Carlton Town 3 Sheffield FC 3
UniBond Division One South
Saturday, 20/12/08
Marc Newsham makes it 2-2 as he glides the ball into the far corner
Santa Claus was in town on Saturday,
in Gedling to be precise, in the guise of the Sheffield FC defence, gifting Carlton Town two early goals from which Sheffield
did superbly well to pull back, finally departing Carlton Town with their own present in the form of a hard worked point.
The Sheffield line up was pretty much
the one that had battled back for a point at Grantham, the only change arising from the suspension of Ben Leonard with
Dan MacPherson dropping into a more central position, allowing Steve Woolley to move across to the left with Matt Outram returning
to his usual right hand sided berth.
The contest was fairly even in the
early stages but for some unexplained reason the visiting defence seemed to switch off on the quarter hour mark allowing first
Fenton to put the home side into the lead, and then three minutes later Thomas doubled the advantage for the league leaders
whilst the Sheffield defence simply opened up to gift the Carlton forward all the time and space he needed. At this point
even yours truly was questioning the commitment of the side and seriously wondering what had happened to the heart of the
team since Dave McCarthy had departed the Managers role. This question remained unanswered for a mere seven minutes as the
Sheffield midfield, led by Captain Hawes, drove forward to first supply Marc Newsham with the opportunity to open his Sheffield
goalscoring account with a near post knock in following a cross into the box, and then the same player doubled his tally getting
a touch to another right wing cross to glance the ball across the face of the Town goal and more importantly the keeper, into
the far corner of the net. A goal fest now beckoned but again it was the home side who all they seemed to need to do was attack
to score, and this they did five minutes before the break through Gent. Normal service resumed ? Not quite, but three goals
conceded from four efforts is a worrying statistic.
The second half was a very different
story, with Club dominating large chunks of the play with their determined running, and causing the Carlton No 1 to have a
very uncomfortable time of it. Newsham could and should have completed his hat-trick, hitting the bar in the process following
Steve Woolley’s run and cross into the box. The on loan striker was clearly tiring and was replaced by another new boy
making his first appearance, Jack Muldoon, the former Brigg man promptly putting himself about with the some very enthusiastic
challenges. Sheffield were not to be denied, and the positive play brought it’s reward when Dan MacPherson headed home
at the back post in the 75th minute to put Club level. The drama wasn’t over however. Vill Powell made a
welcome return from injury and looked like he’d never been away, even putting the ball in the net only to be adjudged
offside. The last action saw the referee acting as Scrooge and deciding that the Carlton keepers ever so slight show of petulance
in reacting to the request to move the ball back for a free kick worthy of a red card, and with that the game was over.
So, questions had been asked, and
some answered. The worrying trend to concede goals continues but the forwards looked lively again and it augers well for an
entertaining second half of the season. Stocksbridge on Boxing Day now awaits. Will the Manager stick with the same starting
eleven or will he look to bolster the defence, and will Vill start ? We’ll soon know the answers.
BTF Club Man Of The Match - Matt Outram
Sheffield FC:- Walker, Wright, Paul Smith,
Gav Smith, Haggerty, MacPherson, Outram, Hawes, Newsham (Muldoon), Partridge (Powell), Woolley. Unused Subs: Goddard,
Gelsthorpe, Eagers
Grantham Town 1 Sheffield FC 1
UniBond Division One South
Saturday, 06/12/08
Sheffield gained a point this afternoon with a second half
goal from Scott Partridge, despite playing for almost an hour with ten men after the dismissal of Ben Leonard for using his
elbow in an attempt to win a header.
Sheffield started the game fielding two of the three new
signings brought into the club this week, Marc Newsham and Dan MacPherson in action whilst Jack Muldoon was unavailable. It
was the visitors who made the brighter start, putting the home side under pressure from the kick off. However it
was Walker who had to make the first save of the afternoon, diving low at his near post to stop a shot from Brooks. Mellon
then had a similar effort from the other side of the area, but his effort went wide of the far post. Sheffield responded with
Leonard heading over from close range. On 25 minutes Wright lofted a ball into the Grantham area which was scrambled away,
and then Newsham headed against the bar before the ball was eventually cleared. At this stage it looked liked the Gingerbreads
were about to crumble but the game changed ten minutes later when Leonard was given a straight red for elbows as he challenged
Mellon for a header. Despite being a man down it was still Sheffield who looked the more likely to score, Newsham bringing
out a fine save from Scaithe as he volleyed in a cross from Woolley. The resulting corner saw Partridge nudge the ball goalwards
only to see it kicked off the line by Pemberton.
The home side made two substitutions before the start of
the second half with Hargreaves and Brown replacing Mallinson and Pemberton. Five minutes after the restart Brooks again went
close when his free kick just cleared the bar with Walker at full stretch. Sheffield again came back strong as Partridge got
the better of two defenders before the ball found MacPherson who created space and had a great opportunity to crown his debut
with a goal but he blazed his shot over the bar. At the other end Walker had to get down quickly saving a shot from Sturgess.
Although Grantham were now having a bit more possession, the visitors were working hard to close them down and still creating
chances of their own.
Grantham were starting to get desperate at their lack of
success in breaking down a resolute Sheffield side, none more so than Mellon who bundle MacPherson over with a hefty challenge.
Quick thinking from Paul Smith saw him take the free kick whilst everyone was setting themselves up, catching Scaithe way
off his line but the effort was just over the bar to save the keeper's blushes. The visitors took a deserved lead on 63 minutes
when Hawes was brought down on the edge of the area. Paul Smith drove the ball goalwards and, despite the announcer crediting
the goal to him, the ball was actually touched home by PARTRIDGE says this reporter, who was right in line with the play.
Newsham then made way for Micky Goddard. Despite only having ten men, Sheffield strived for another goal, MacPherson's shot
being somewhat acrobatically saved by Scaithe. Grantham threw on Zeurner for Turner for the last twelve minutes or so in a
bid to salvage something for the home side. Mellon was then penalized for an unwanted challenge on Walker, when the keeper
was clearly in control of the ball, the referee finally deciding that a yellow card was warranted. With ten minutes left the
Sheffield defence was finally breached, as a cross from the left found ZEURNER unmarked on the edge of the area and his snapshot
found the bottom corner of the net. Sheffield replaced Partridge with Outram for the remainder of the game, as both sides
went in search of a winner, Grantham probably thinking their man advantage may prove fruitful, but that was nullified when
Mellon got a straight red card for a challenge on Gavin Smith. The last action of note saw Walker save from Hargreaves, who
almost stole all the points for the Gingerbreads, which would have been an injustice on the balance of play.
Overall it was a well earned point, but things may well
have been different if we had not played for almost an hour with ten men. However, the team worked well to get the point and
sound debuts from both the newcomers into the side. There's now a full free week until we entertain Loughborough Dynamo here
next Saturday.
BTF Club Man of the Match: Steve Woolley
Grantham Town: Scaithe, Pemberton (Brown), Brooks, Mellon,
Stubbs, Sturgess, Lister, Robinson, Knowles, Turner (Zeurner), Mallinson (Hargreaves). Unused subs: White, A.Goddard.
Sheffield FC: Walker, Wright, P.Smith, G.Smith, Haggerty,
Leonard, Woolley, Hawes, Newsham (M.Goddard), Partridge (Outram), MacPherson. Unused subs: Winter, Lipka, Gelsthorpe.
Att: 196
Loughborough Dynamo 2 Sheffield FC
1
UniBond Division One South
Tuesday, 02/12/08
Sheffield slipped to a
disappointing defeat at an icy Watermead Lane this evening, losing 2-1 to Loughborough Dynamo, in a game that was dominated
for large parts by the visitors. Despite having nearly all the possession and territory in the first period, Club found themselves
two goals down from Jake Betts (10th minute) and Kris Nurse (37th minute), whilst only having a Scott
Partridge goal in reply. The hosts’ goals came from two rare attacks, giving the visitors a lesson in finishing, as
Sheffield failed to break down a resolute Dynamo defence. Loughborough also finished the game with ten men, as Danny Jenno
saw red for two yellow cards, unusually going completely against the nature of a well-contested yet fair contest.
Club
started the game as lively as any this season, literally putting the home side on the back-foot, but for all the pressure
they had nothing to show for it. Perversely in the 10th minute Loughborough had their first attack – and
scored – as Club failed to clear a corner, in the scramble BETTS hit the telling strike that was partly blocked by Leigh
Walker, but the keeper couldn’t get enough behind the ball to keep it out. Sheffield went back on the attack, and despite
creating several opportunities, couldn’t get back on terms. Steve Woolley and Scott Partridge combined down the left,
with Partridge laying the ball on a plate for Ben Leonard, however the big midfielder lashed the ball wide of the mark. It
really was all Sheffield, and it seemed more of a miracle that they had failed to score than get the ball in the net such
was the amount of pressure, then totally against the run of play Dynamo doubled their lead. A long ball over the top found
Kris Nurse galloping towards goal, and showing the composure expected of a player of his standing, NURSE tucked the ball under
Walker. The lead was halved two minutes after, as Sheffield burst forward trying to undo the injustice, although Matt Nurse
did wonderful to tip over a Scott Partridge effort. From the resultant corner by Paul Smith, PARTRIDGE was unmarked at the
back post, giving the prolific striker an easy chance to side-foot the ball in off the post. Instead of Sheffield threatening
to go level, Loughborough were the team who had the chance to extend their lead as Luke Plummer was denied by a point blank
save by Leigh Walker.
The
second half was more balanced as far as play was concerned, with the midfields dominating more than anything, and chances
becoming more of a premium. Sheffield went closest with first proper effort, with Mick Goddard being denied at the near post
by a Matt Nurse save, whilst José Moreira was denied after some dreadful defending at the other end. Luke Plummer wasted a
couple of chances that were amongst the best in the half blasting over the bar with one, and heading over a few moments later.
As a contest the game seemed to have died on its feet, but then with five minutes to go things were livened up as the referee
showed Danny Jenno a yellow card for a slightly rash challenge on Greg Wright. Yet in a game that was devoid of any real physicality
this turned out to be Jenno’s second, as the defender had been shown for an infringement at a throw-in in the first
half, and given the place of the foul it seemed an unfortunate red card for anyone to earn. This gave Club a little added
impetus in the dying moments, and they nearly grabbed a point as Matt Nurse pulled off a brave double save, firstly from Scott
Partridge, then from Mick Goddard. This more or less summed up Club’s night in reality, and they will be wondering how
they failed to come away from this one with nothing to show for their efforts, leaving the play-off hopes further away than
ever.
BTF
Man of the Match: Steve Wooley
Loughborough
Dynamo: M.Nurse, Jenno, Allen, Gibbons, Betts, Noble ©, Moreira (Brennan), Morgan, K.Nurse, Wilkes (Ross), Plummer. Subs Not
Used: Spriggs, McLarnon, R.Nurse.
Sheffield
FC: Walker, Gelsthorpe (Davey), P.Smith, Wright, G.Smith, Winter (Lipka), Leonard, Hawes, Goddard (McKenzie), Partridge, Woolley.
Subs Not Used: Outram.
Att:
75
Sheffield FC 5 North Ferriby United
2
UniBond League Cup 3rd Round
Tuesday, 25/11/08
Sheffield
turned in a much improved performance from Saturday, this evening at the Bright Finance Stadium, underlining the Jeckyll and
Hyde nature of recent weeks. Tonight they produced an entertaining and convincing 5-2 victory over a young North Ferriby outfit,
with Scott Partridge leading the way with a hat-trick, aided by goals from Steve Woolley and Daz Winter. The East Yorkshire
side made a great game of it, with goals from Peter Davidson and Alex Davidson, before fading in the final moments.
It was
clear from the off that Club had attacking intentions in mind, making a bright start, with Daz Winter, Mick Goddard, Jordan
Eagers and Steve Woolley all going close as the hosts began on top. Scott Partridge had the ball in the back of the net on
twenty minutes, after some great work from Greg Wright and Steve Woolley found the Sheffield front-man; only for the linesman
to rule offside. Steve Hawes also produced a fine save from Mark Wilberforce, whilst the best Ferriby could produce was a
wayward effort from Colin Hunter; however on 33 minutes the visitors pulled a goal from nowhere and completely against the
run of play. David Haggerty was caught in possession by Alex Davidson, and after taking the ball a few yards DAVIDSON finished
with aplomb, making it look too easy. But that lead only lasted five minutes, as Scott Partridge burst down the left wing,
before drilling in a cross that WOOLLEY drove under the hand of Wilberforce and into the net. Club could have taken the lead
almost immediately, as Paul Smith’s free-kick being met by Daz Winter in the middle, with the header scraping just wide
of the post. The Villagers couldn’t keep Sheffield out for too long and just before the interval Club were rewarded
for their attacking play, although it looked as though Steve Hawes would be the one to score from Steve Woolley’s corner,
only to see Danny Moore clear off the line – but as the scramble continued PARTRIDGE kept his composure to strike the
ball into the net, albeit deflected off the backside of Sam Denton. Even so North Ferriby still had time to give Sheffield
a little scare before the interval, as Colin Hunter showed a neat touch to lift the ball over Lloyd Gelsthorpe, with his shot
flashing across the face of the goal and just wide of the mark.
An injury
to one of the linesmen saw Sheffield under 19s Guru Phil Wymer step into the action in his place, and to his credit performed
excellently and without bias. On the pitch Club looked to carry on where they left off in the first half, with Paul Smith
having a free-kick tipped over the bar by Mark Wilberforce, whilst some excellent play by Jordan Eagers set up Scott Partridge
with a header that should have found the target. It seemed though that Sheffield’s inability to finish the chances would
cost them dear, as North Ferriby came back into the game as expected, and on the hour they deservedly drew level. Colin Hunter
found some space on the left, before putting the ball square across goal to Peter Davidson, and without breaking stride DAVIDSON
slammed the ball home for his first of the season. If anything though this served as a bit of a wake up call for the hosts
and after this there was no living with them, although Leigh Walker had to be on top form first with a fine double save, after
Alex Davidson had hit the home side on the break. On 74 minutes though Sheffield got the lead they warranted, with Jordan
Eagers through ball finding PARTRIDGE, who beat the offside trap to slot comfortably under Wilberforce. That was the last
action for Eagers, who’d had an enterprising night on the field, as he pulled up with what looked like a hamstring pull.
With two minutes to go it was all made safe for Sheffield, as a fantastic ball from Greg Wright found PARTRIDGE once again,
and this was an opportunity too good to waste for the prolific striker who gleefully grabbed his hat-trick goal – and
his SEVENTH in this competition. To wrap things up over a weary looking North Ferriby side, Sheffield grabbed a fifth following
some great play from Scott Partridge and Ted Cribley, setting up WINTER with the chance to drive the ball home from eighteen
yards.
Sometimes
too much is made in these competitions regarding who’ve played a full-strength side and who haven’t; looking at
Sheffield it was clear to see this was as near as damn-it to the best available team, North Ferriby on the other hand had
a fair smattering of a “mixture”. But following on from the poor showing on Saturday, this was a game that needed
winning – and needed winning well – and that is exactly what the Club outfit did, winning a very entertaining
contest against an entertaining opposition in a very entertaining fashion. The one downside though was the attendance, the
lowest at the Bright Finance Stadium for three years, obviously not aided by the cold weather and competition from televised
Champions’ League football and Sheffield United playing at home. Hopefully those who stayed away will be back in droves
on Saturday for the home game against Lincoln United, and Club will put in a display more in tune with tonight’s, rather
than the regrettable one witnessed at home to Brigg the previous weekend.
BTF
Club Man of the Match – Scott Partridge
Sheffield
FC: Walker, Gelsthorpe, P.Smith, Wright, Haggerty, Winter, Eagers (Cribley), Hawes ©, Goddard, Partridge, Woolley. Subs Not
Used: Lipka, Purkiss, G.Smith, McKenzie.
North
Ferriby United: Wilberforce, Moore, Frizzell, Denton, Bloor, Morvey © (Diawarra), P.Davidson, A.Davidson, Russell, Hunter.
Subs Not Used: Chapman, Bradshaw, Jackson, Wilson.
Att:
110
Sheffield FC 0 Brigg Town 2
UniBond Division One South
Saturday, 22/11/08
It was
one of those days today at the Bright Finance Stadium, as the result, the performance and the game in general matched the
weather. In a word it was dismal on all fronts, as Sheffield succumbed to allow basement side Brigg Town to waltz away with
all three points – and deservedly so – with a performance that had many scratching their heads in disbelief following
Tuesday night’s victory over Durham City. The Zebras looked every bit a team that look favourites for relegation, with
very little in the way of confidence, yet they outperformed a Club outfit that was expected to win this game with ease. A
12th minute penalty from Nathan Would gave the Lincolnshire side a shock first half lead, and despite a few efforts
on goal, Sheffield could have no complaints when slack defending allowed a 49th minute goal from Scott Helliwell.
The
lowest league crowd of the season braved the freezing temperatures for this one, and they could be forgiven for wishing they’d
stayed at home, as Club surprisingly started on the back-foot. Brigg opened the first ten minutes on the offensive, but looked
very scrappy in their play; however on twelve minutes they must have thought all the birthdays had come at once. An over-hit
cross into the Sheffield box looked to be routinely mopped up at the back, but under a little pressure Gavin Smith somehow
inexplicably allowed the ball to hit his raised hand; Mr Marshall had little doubt in awarding the penalty and WOULD had little
trouble dispatching the ball down the middle for 1-0. Naturally you’d expect Sheffield to come back on the charge, and
they did, but not with as much potency as they are capable of. A Steve Hawes’ free-kick found Jez Mitchell who headed
over, Mitchell worked the ball to Steve Woolley to force the only real save of the game (and a good one at that) from Leigh
Herrick, whilst Jordan Eagers hit the bar with a cheeky little chipped free-kick. Other than that, the game had the look of
a match-up between two teams bereft of ideas, with the only hope being it could be sparked into life by a sharp and harsh
half-time talk.
Whether
that happened or not in the Sheffield dressing room mattered little, as four minutes after the re-start Brigg picked up the
ball on the left, put a harmless looking cross that went across the face of goal in slow-motion – missed by everyone
in the middle – and at the back post was HELLIWELL to stab it home. This heralded some desperate football, Brigg were
by no means a quality side with their play, but their defensive midfield qualities spoiled any hope of Sheffield getting back
into the game. Leeroy Cochrane came the closest for Sheffield from a Steve Woolley corner, his header looked goal-bound with
Herrick beaten, but Dan Bartlett headed off the line to deny the defender a goal against his old team. The introduction of
Scott Partridge and Daz Winter livened things up a little, but still Club failed to create anything of note, whilst Ted Cribley’s
entry into the game should have heralded a bit more if he’d not rushed an effort when through on goal. Overall though,
Sheffield never tested the keeper half enough, and despite not producing football of any quality Brigg fully deserved their
first win – and celebrated justly.
BTF
Club Man of the Match – Steve Woolley
Sheffield
FC: Walker, G.Smith, Davey, Cochrane, Haggerty, Eagers (Cribley), Roney (Winter), Hawes ©, Goddard, Mitchell (Partridge),
Woolley. Subs Not Used: Gelsthorpe, Lipka.
Brigg
Town: Herrick, Spall ©, Bartlett, Helliwell, Jacklin, Would, Lamb, Muldoon (Day), Hutchinson (Emson), Ashton. Subs Not Used:
Wilson, Roach, Davis.
Att:
315
Sheffield FC 3 Durham City 2
UniBond League Cup Round Two
Tuesday, 18/11/08
Once
again the squad and fringe players did Club proud tonight at the Bright Finance Stadium, overcoming a near full-strength Durham
City side by 3-2, in a performance that left the north-east side somewhat shell-shocked. Playing against virtually the same
eleven players that rocked Rossendale United 4-0 the previous Saturday, Sheffield put in a blistering first half performance,
with two goals in the opened fifteen minutes. Jez Mitchell was the man of the moment, grabbing two goals (13th
and 63rd minutes) for himself, whilst providing the assist for Mick Goddard’s 6th minute opener.
City on the other hand looked a very jaded side, and had to wait until late in the second half to make an impact, with goals
from Adam Johnston (73rd minute) and Tommy English (83rd minute) being mere consolation that gave the
scoreline a somewhat more respectable look to it than they deserved.
From
the off Club looked the more hungry of the two teams with Durham sitting back as wave after wave of Sheffield attacks started
to take its toll on the visiting defence, with Janni Lipka’s cross exposing a defensive frailty that Jez Mitchell should
have taken more advantage of, as his header never really tested Craig Turns in the City goal. This weakness was soon exploited
as from a quickly taken Matt Roney short corner gave Matt Outram time to measure a cross, Mitchell was unmarked at the back
post to head back across goal, and with typical predatory instinct GODDARD was there to head home from close range. Goddard
almost turned provider seconds later, as he set up Lipka with an effort that had Turns beaten, but his accuracy was just not
enough as the ball shaved the post. On thirteen minutes though the lead was doubled, and it could be argued it was something
of a gift, as MITCHELL struck his free-kick under the wall and through the hands of a pretty unconvincing Turns into the net.
At 2-0 Club looked as confident as in any game this season, and it appeared that it would be a case of “by how much”
rather than “could they hang on”, as the chances kept on coming their way. Matt Outram’s cross was headed
spectacularly against his own post by Michael Laws, Leeroy Cochrane headed a corner just over the bar, whilst Jez Mitchell
found himself in prime shooting positions twice – scuffing the ball wide on both occasions. It took thirty minutes for
Durham to get a shot on target, with Adam Johnston’s free-kick being parried out by Marc Furniss, and Calvin Smith making
a hash of the rebound. At the other end it was relentless though, and Durham could count them very lucky as a free kick from
Matt Roney was hooked back across goal by David Haggerty, and Mitchell’s shot was blocked on the line by Captain Stephen
Harrison.
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